Improvement in wagon-hubs



Pap ented July 7. 1863 nven/ br NZ; I

A. E. SMITH.

Attaching Hubs to Wagons.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED E. SMITH, OF BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN WAGON-HUBS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,177., dated July 7, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED E. SMITH, of Bronxville, Westchester county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful improvements in the construction of hubs of wagon-wheels and method of securing them upon the axle-tree; and l-do hereby declare the following to be a full description of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in securing upon the axle-tree of a wagon or other vehicle the hub or Wheel by means of a revolvinglinchpimin combination with the axletree and screw-cap; but to describe my invention more particularly, 1 will refer to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, the same letters of reference wherever they occur referring to like parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the hub. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cut section of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of thehub, showing in outline the method of inserting the spokes. Fig. 4 is a transverse cut section of the axle-tree through the line a: at, Fig. 2, showing the revolving linchpin.

Letter A is the axle-tree; B, the collar, and G the bearings of the axle-tree, made larger in diameter than the stock out of which the body of it, A, is made. The object of this is to give greater strength. to the support of the wheel than is practicable where wood hubs are used, unless they are made disproportionately large with reference to the 1ightne. s of other parts of the frame of fancy trottingagons.

D is a cast malleable iron case-hardened axle-box, having on its back edge a flange, E, of some three inches diameter, more or less, as may be desired for the diameter of the wheel. Against the inner face of this flange are arranged the ends of the series of spokes F to form the wheel, and which are firmly held in their places by means of a cap-plate, G, fitting upon the outside of the box and up against the outer face of the spokes, so that when the screw-bolts H, inserted through it, and the flange E are drawn up, the ends of the spokes are firmly and securely locked together to the box or hub.

It will be obvious that packing the sides and ends of the spokes between the flange E and cap plate G to compensate for any shrinkage of the wood will always be employed, and therefore do not limit myself to the use of any particular substance or material for that purpose.

Letter J is an annular channel formed on the end of the axle.

K is a forked-shaped linchpin fitting into the annular groove J, so as to bear against the edges of the groove and the end of the box I), and thus, if not lifted out of the annular groove, prevent the axle from being withdrawn from the hub.

To prevent the linchpin from getting out of the groove, a box or screw-cap,L, is made to fit over it and screw upon the outer surface of the end of the box D, so that the ledge M formed on the inside of the screw-cap L, pressing against the outer face of the linchpin opposite the end of the box D, holds it securely in the groove, and at the same time strengthens it.

Having now described my invention, I will 

